


Old Friends

by killerweasel



Category: Turn (TV 2014)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-03
Updated: 2014-06-03
Packaged: 2018-02-03 08:00:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1737239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/killerweasel/pseuds/killerweasel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An old friend of the Major suddenly shows up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Old Friends

**Author's Note:**

> Newton is the ancestor of Newt Geiszler from _Pacific Rim_.

Title: Old Friends  
Fandom: _Turn_  
Characters: Major Hewlett, Newton Geiszler  
Word Count: 1,925  
Rating: PG-13  
A/N: AU after the events of _Turn's_ 'Against Thy Neighbor'  
Warnings: n/a  
Summary: An old friend of the Major suddenly shows up.

 

The pub was crowded, but Major Edmund Hewlett had a table in the corner to himself. Everyone was giving him a wide berth for several reasons, the least being the trials earlier in the week. While he was beyond exhausted, the thought of going back to headquarters was as unappealing as the home of Richard Woodhull. He drained the contents of his glass. The alcohol burned a path down to his mostly empty stomach. He hadn’t been terribly hungry the last few days.

The door to the pub swung open and a man came inside, shaking the rain from his coat. Something about the man seemed familiar, making Edmund sit up. He couldn’t see the newcomer very clearly through the crowd and didn’t want to risk losing his table, so he stayed where he was. Luckily for him, the man headed in his direction.

“Well, if it isn’t Major Edmund Hewlett.” There was a twinkle in the man’s eye and almost a bounce in his step as he stood behind the chair across from Edmund. “Look at you, in your fancy new uniform. Last time we met you were just a captain. Good for you. One of your underlings told me where to find you.”

"Dr. Newton Geiszler! I had no idea you were in the Colonies. The last letter you sent me came from Madrid." He rose from his seat and embraced the other man. "Please tell me you're in good health."

"I won’t call you Major if you refrain from calling me doctor." He grinned at Edmund. "I'm fine." The smile vanished as he studied Edmund's face. "You, however, you look less than fine. Are the pressures of being a higher-up in His Majesties forces getting to you?"

Edmund looked around, noticing the eyes of others focused on the two of them. "I don't think we should have this conversation here. Things have been... less than ideal lately. Will you come with me?"

"Of course. Lead the way, my friend."

\---

"I'm going to guess the local people are not pleased their church has been converted to your stable and headquarters." Newton glanced at a stain on the floor. "I know you are within your rights for doing something like this, but still, the backlash must be unpleasant to deal with."

"Yes, well, they are less than pleased with the majority of what we do. While I try to be fair, Newton, I repeatedly find myself between a rock and a hard place. The longer the fighting continues, the worse it will get." He sighed as he sank back into his chair. "That stain you're staring at is from my horse. Someone attempted to poison me and my horse ate the fruit instead. I had to..." Edmund trailed off, running a hand over his face.

The color drained from Newton's cheeks. He walked over to where Edmund was sitting, putting his hands on the man's shoulders. He could feel Edmund shaking under his palms. "I'm sorry." He rubbed his thumbs gently on Edmund's back. "I know it's like to have to do that. The circumstances weren't exactly the same, but the pain which came afterward certainly was."

"You know how I am. I'm horrible with people. Social situations are an ordeal. I could talk to him, tell him everything, and he would listen without judgment." Edmund took a deep breath. "He was a fine animal and didn't deserve that."

"No, he didn't." Newton bit his lip. "That's not the only thing bothering you, is it?"

Edmund sat up as he wiped at his face. "My friend, well, I would say he's the closest thing I have to a friend here, was shot by an unknown assailant. I was there when the doctor was removing the musket ball from his chest. He's still very weak from the injury, but he is recovering."

"Has this entire village gone mad?" Newton moved away from the chair, pacing back and forth. "Murdering innocent animals and shooting citizens is the work of cowards. Be careful, Edmund. If someone has attempted to murder you once, they will most certainly try again."

"I know."

"We must talk about happier things to rid you of your melancholy, even for a short while." Newton grabbed his satchel from the back of his chair and began to dig around in it. "Aha!" He pulled a small item from the bag. "This, my friend, is for you." When Edmund held his hand out, Newton placed a small wooden object onto his palm.

Edmund turned it over a few times as he studied the craftsmanship. "Is this an elephant?"

"Indeed!" Newton smiled broadly. "I actually got to see one with my own two eyes last year. It made me feel as small as a child. They have two of them at the zoo in Madrid. When I'm not working on my latest book, I carve to take my mind off of things. Do you see how the trunk is raised? That is supposed to bring good luck."

"Thank you, Newton." Edmund traced his fingers over the trunk and then down the small elephant's back. "I shall treasure it always." He set the carving on his desk. "You're working on another book? What is the subject this time?"

"I am comparing the biology of creatures found here in the Colonies to those already discovered in other parts of the world. You'd be surprised how many are similar. Though, I have found some species unique to these regions."

They conversed long into the night, talking about Newton's adventures and travels. Neither of them registered how late it had grown until the fire in the fireplace actually went out from lack of fuel. Newton rebuilt the fire quickly, waving away any assistance from Edmund.

"If you can get away from this village for a short while, a day at the most, you must come see me at my home sometime. I have something for you, but you need to come and get it in person." Newton gave Edmund's shoulder a squeeze. "I'll draw you a map so you can find me."

"I'd like that very much, Newton."

\---

It was almost a month before Edmund was able to take a few days for himself. The only reason he was able to do so was an increase in military personal nearby and he temporarily put another major in charge of his own men. Things were getting to be overwhelming and the stress made his stomach ache.

He wasn't wearing his usual military garb. With the fighting intensifying, he didn't want to risk getting himself killed on his way to Newton. The horse he was riding belonged to another officer. It was a good animal, but didn't come close to the one he'd lost.

Edmund squinted at the map Newton had drawn before turning the horse and riding down a faint path through the woods. He'd occasionally heard gunshots in the distance, but they were more than likely people out hunting rather than trying to kill one another.

The trees fell away as he came upon a small cabin. Newton was sitting on the porch, carving a large piece of wood. “Newton!”

Newton set the wood and his knife to the side. “Edmund. It is good to see you. Bring your horse around back; I have a barn you can stable it in.”

After the horse was taken care of, Edmund joined Newton in a meal. The food was better than anything he’d eaten in months. By the time they were finished, both of them were practically sprawled in their chairs, rubbing their overly full stomachs.

Edmund spotted the pelt of a wolf decorating the wall near the fireplace. “Did you kill the beast yourself, Newton?”

“Actually, that has something to do with why I asked you here.” Newton rose slowly, giving his stomach another pat. “Follow me.”

They walked around the side of the cabin. Edmund could see a fence around part of the property and a few shadows near the back of it which looked like horses. Newton stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled shrilly. One of the horses jerked its head up before heading in their direction. The horse came to a stop by the fence, nickering softly.

“I bought this place from a widow who was headed back to England. I paid her handsomely for everything she didn’t want to take with her, which included four horses.” Newton patted the horse on the neck. “This is Hannibal. I’d like you to have him.” Edmund started to say something and Newt waved a hand. “I still owe you for saving my life in London.”

“He’s beautiful.” The horse was a brown so dark it was almost black. “You would really just give him to me? A horse like this is worth a rather hefty sum.”

“He needs someone to help him live up to his full potential. That won’t happen out here in the woods.” Newton pulled a carrot out of pocket of his coat, handing it to Edmund. “A pack of wolves attacked the horses a few months ago. Hannibal here kicked two of them to death and the others scattered. He’s also unafraid of gunfire. I think he’s a perfect match for you.”

“Hannibal, I think the two of us are going to be good friends.” Edmund offered the carrot to the horse, smiling as it took a large bite.

“I have a proposal for you. At some point in the future, I’m going to head west and continue to study the flora and fauna of this new land. I would like you to come with me.” He laughed at the look on Edmund's face. “I’m not asking you to desert your post. When the war ends, all things end eventually, if you’ve had enough of the military, come find me again. I don’t plan on leaving for a while.”

“I have to admit, your adventures are intriguing. Maybe I’ll join you.” Edmund leaned against the fence. “I shall think about it, Newton.”

\---

Edmund rested against the fallen tree. The ache in his bad leg was worse than usual due to the weather. He swore softly as he rubbed at his knee. He’d been shot during one of the battles of the war. The injury hadn’t been bad enough for the limb to be removed, thank goodness, but he now walked with a limp.

He grinned as Newton popped out of the lake, shaking the water from his hair like a dog. “Had enough yet? You’re going to turn into a prune.”

Newton laughed. “I saw three different species of fish while I was under this time. And a type of frog I’ve never seen before.”

After tossing another log onto the fire to build it back up again, Edmund reached for his pack. “Describe everything so I can write it down. If you touch the paper it will get wet and ruin everything.”

“That was only once.” Newton sat down by the fire. “The frog was a dark green, almost like that of an older pine tree, with black splotches upon its back. The one I saw was young as it still had a bit of tail left.”

Edmund wrote as Newton spoke. It was a ritual he’d come to enjoy. He had an entire satchel filled with notes about the animals they’d come across. Some day, when they headed back to civilization, they would see about getting it published. Until then, they would enjoy the scenery and one another’s company.


End file.
